Navajo County, Arizona

Navajo County is a place in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named Tʼiisyaakin Áłtsʼíísí Bił Hahoodzo in the Navajo language. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 106,717 people. The main town, called the county seat, is Holbrook.

The county is part of the Show Low, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area, which helps group nearby places for studying population and economy.

Navajo County also includes parts of important land for Native American communities. This includes sections of the Hopi Indian reservation, the Navajo Nation, and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, showing its strong connection to these cultures.

History

Navajo County was created from Apache County on March 21, 1895. The first sheriff of the new county was Commodore Perry Owens, who had been the sheriff of Apache County before. The area was also where many events of the Pleasant Valley War took place.

Geography

Navajo County in Arizona covers a large area of 9,960 square miles. Most of this is land, with only a small part being water. The county includes famous places like Monument Valley, Keams Canyon, and part of the Petrified Forest National Park. It also has one of the biggest groups of ponderosa pine forests in North America.

The county touches several other counties: Apache County to the east, Graham County to the south, Gila County to the southwest, Coconino County to the west, and San Juan County, Utah to the north. Inside Navajo County, there are large areas designated for Indian reservation, including parts of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Indian Reservation, and Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The county also contains parts of these national protected areas: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Navajo National Monument, and Petrified Forest National Park.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 106,717. Of the residents, 25.8% were under the age of 18 and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males. 35.7% of residents lived in urban areas and 64.3% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 45.4% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 44.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.2% of the population.

There were 36,836 households in the county, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 56,180 housing units, of which 34.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.9% were owner-occupied and 29.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.

Census of religion

Navajo County is among the most religiously diverse places in the United States. A 2020 census by the Public Religion Research Institute (unconnected to the official US census) calculates a religious diversity score of 0.876 for Navajo County, where 1 represents complete diversity (each religious group of equal size) and 0 a total lack of diversity. Only three other counties in the US have higher scores, all much more urban than Navajo County.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 107,449 people, 35,658 households, and 25,923 families living in the county. The population density was 10.8 inhabitants per square mile (4.2/km²). There were 56,938 housing units at an average density of 5.7 units per square mile (2.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 49.3% white, 43.4% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.4% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.7% were German, 12.5% were English, 9.3% were Irish, and 2.3% were American.

Of the 35,658 households, 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.3% were non-families, and 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.50. The median age was 34.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,774 and the median income for a family was $45,906. Males had a median income of $41,516 versus $28,969 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,745. About 19.1% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.6% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 97,470 people, 30,043 households, and 23,073 families living in the county. The population density was 10 inhabitants per square mile (3.9/km²). There were 47,413 housing units at an average density of 5/sq mi (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 47.7% Native American, 45.9% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.8% reported speaking Navajo at home, 5.9% other Southern Athabaskan languages, 4.7% Spanish, and 3.2% Hopi.

There were 30,043 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.68.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,569, and the median income for a family was $32,409. Males had a median income of $30,509 versus $21,621 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,609. About 23.4% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Navajo County usually supports the Republican Party in elections. It hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1996. Even though many Native Americans live there—and they often support the Democratic Party—the county has many members of the Latter-Day Saint faith, especially in places like Snowflake. This helps Republican candidates win.

Recently, more people in Navajo County have voted Republican. In 2024, even areas that used to lean Democratic, like Winslow, Pinetop-Lakeside, and parts of the Navajo Nation, started voting more for Republican candidates. However, the city of Holbrook has started to favor Democratic ideas since 2020.

Education

Several school districts serve Navajo County, including Blue Ridge Unified School District, Cedar Unified School District, Heber-Overgaard Unified School District, Holbrook Unified School District, Joseph City Unified School District, Kayenta Unified School District, Piñon Unified School District, Show Low Unified School District, Snowflake Unified School District, Whiteriver Unified School District, and Winslow Unified School District.

There is also a tribal elementary school named Little Singer Community School. It was started in the 1970s so children in the area wouldn’t have to travel far to school. The school is affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education and was named after a medicine man named Hataalii Yazhi. The school’s current building, finished in November 2020, has special circular designs and covers a large area.

Transportation

Major highways

Navajo County has several important roads that help people travel. Some of the main highways include:

• I-40
  • BL 40 (Joseph City)
  • BL 40 (Holbrook)
  • BS 40 (Winslow)
• US 60
• US 160
• US 163
• US 180
• SR 73
• SR 77
• SR 87
• SR 98
• SR 99
• SR 260
• SR 264
• SR 277
• SR 377

Airports

The county also has several airports for public use, including:

• Cibecue Airport – Cibecue
• Holbrook Municipal Airport – Holbrook
• Kayenta Airport – Kayenta
• Polacca Airport – Polacca
• Show Low Regional Airport – Show Low
• Taylor Airport – Taylor
• Whiteriver Airport – Whiteriver
• Winslow–Lindbergh Regional Airport – Winslow

Communities

Navajo County has many places where people live. Some of the larger towns are Holbrook, the county seat, Show Low, and Winslow. There are also smaller towns such as Kayenta, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, and Taylor.

The county includes many places that are not officially towns, called census-designated places. Examples include Chilchinbito, Cibecue, and Clay Springs. There are also special areas for Native American communities, like the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, the Hopi Reservation, and the Navajo Nation. Some places in Navajo County are old and no longer have many people living there, called ghost towns, such as Brigham and Obed.